Samuel Esarey | PPG: Can mechanical wrapping with turbostratic graphene stop silicon battery anodes from self-pulverizing?
17:39.736 - 19:27.192
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Can mechanical wrapping with turbostratic graphene stop silicon battery anodes from self-pulverizing?
Silicon is the holy grail of lithium-ion battery anodes, promising a massive leap in energy density compared to traditional graphite. However, during charge-discharge cycling, silicon particles undergo a massive volume expansion of over 300%, causing severe mechanical stress that pulverizes the active material and quickly destroys cycle life.
To overcome this fundamental physical limitation, Samuel discusses how plasma-synthesized, turbostratic graphene acts as a highly elastic, conductive sheath. Wrapping the silicon particles in this structurally decoupled carbon matrix allows the anode to expand and contract dynamically without losing electrical contact or fracturing.
This commercialized solution, developed alongside NanoGraf, proves that the success of silicon anodes lies not just in chemical composition, but in mechanical encapsulation. The high tensile strength and flexibility of few-layer graphene sheets are crucial to enabling high-capacity EV batteries with viable commercial lifetimes.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The degradation mechanism of silicon battery anodes under extreme 300% lithiation expansion.
* How the mechanical resilience of plasma-made graphene prevents particle pulverization during cycling.
* The structural design of silicon-graphene hybrid anodes used in cutting-edge commercial batteries.
📋 **Clip Abstract** This clip details how Samuel Esarey and PPG utilize Raymor's PureWave graphene to mitigate the devastating volume expansion of silicon-based battery anodes. He explains the physical and mechanical mechanism of using graphene wrapping to maintain electrical conductivity and structural integrity over long cycle lifetimes.
#TurbostraticGraphene, #SiliconAnodes, #AnodeEncapsulation, #LithiationExpansion, #LithiumIonTechnology, #ElectricMobility
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11:59.404 - 13:46.296
Why does dispersing graphene require the same chemical engineering as formulating high-performance paints?
Why does dispersing graphene require the same chemical engineering as formulating high-performance paints?
Dispersing high-surface-area 2D materials like graphene is one of the most significant bottlenecks in commercializing nanomaterials. PPG leverages decades of paint-formulation expertise to treat graphene not as a simple additive, but as a complex pigment that requires a precise balance of mechanical energy and chemical stabilization.
To achieve highly concentrated, pourable dispersions, Samuel outlines three critical levers: the exact configuration of media milling, the processing shear conditions, and the molecular architecture of the dispersant. Optimizing these parameters prevents re-agglomeration without damaging the delicate, few-layer graphene platelets.
Through this joint engineering approach, PPG produces stable aqueous dispersions containing up to 8% to 10% total solids. Remarkably, the dispersed lateral sheet size remains at 200 to 300 nanometers, which is incredibly close to the pristine primary platelet size of 150 to 200 nanometers, preserving the intrinsic properties of the material.
In this short video, you can learn:
* How the triad of milling type, processing conditions, and dispersant selection dictates dispersion quality.
* The formulation mechanics behind achieving highly stable, pourable 10% total solid graphene dispersions.
* Why maintaining dispersed particle sizes close to the primary platelet size is critical for coating performance.
📋 **Clip Abstract** PPG's Samuel Esarey explains the physical chemistry and chemical engineering required to formulate high-solids, stable graphene dispersions. By treating graphene with advanced coating methodologies, they maintain primary flake sizing and avoid the common re-agglomeration issues that plague industrial nanomaterial integration.
#GrapheneDispersion, #MediaMilling, #MolecularDispersants, #NanomaterialFormulation, #ConductiveInks, #AdvancedCoatings
15:20.616 - 16:42.396
Why does pure graphene underperform as a conductive additive until you mix it with graphite?
Why does pure graphene underperform as a conductive additive until you mix it with graphite?
When formulating electrically conductive coatings, utilizing pristine graphene as a standalone conductive filler often delivers disappointing resistivity results of around 35 ohms per square per mil. This counterintuitive phenomenon occurs because single-component nanomaterial networks struggle to establish efficient percolative pathways across varying dimensional scales.
Samuel reveals that the key to unlocking true theoretical conductivity lies in multi-component synergistic formulation. By pairing low-cost bulk graphite with exfoliated graphene and plasma-synthesized few-layer graphene, formulators build a multi-dimensional conductive hierarchy where smaller flakes bridge the spatial gaps between larger plates.
This ternary hybrid approach drastically lowers overall sheet resistance to under 15 ohms per square per mil. Leveraging the unique rheology and dispersibility of plasma-made graphene enables coating formulators to maximize performance while minimizing high-cost nanomaterial loading.
In this short video, you can learn:
* Why single-component graphene additions fail to meet theoretical conductivity limits in coatings.
* How to design a multi-dimensional conductive network using graphite, exfoliated graphene, and plasma-made graphene.
* The role of dispersion quality and rheology in establishing optimal percolative paths for electrical conductivity.
📋 **Clip Abstract** Samuel Esarey demonstrates the synergetic electrical properties achieved when blending different dimensional carbon allotropes within a single coatings formulation. He explains how combining graphite, exfoliated graphene, and plasma-synthesized graphene creates superior percolative pathways that significantly lower sheet resistance.
#PercolativePathways, #PlasmaGraphene, #SheetResistance, #ConductiveCoatings, #PrintedElectronics, #ConductiveInks